Sennheiser launches the closed-back HD 480 PRO headphones

April 21, 2026

Accurate low-end and supreme comfort for professional recording and monitoring

Wedemark, April 21, 2026 – With the HD 480 PRO, Sennheiser today launches its top-of-the-range closed-back headphones for studio and live environments. Designed with the utmost care and precision, they eliminate the two most-cited pain points of closed-back headphones by delivering a tight, accurate bass reproduction and ensuring supreme comfort for audio professionals tasked with recording, tracking, or monitoring in the studio, in live audio environments or on the move.

Delivering where other closed-backs fail

With closed-back headphones, a good reproduction of the low-end is usually difficult to achieve. “This is where the HD 480 PRO excel. Compared to other closed-back headphones, they are a lot tighter on the bass, their low-end is super-accurate and realistic,” notes Jimmy R. Landry, Category Market Manager, Music Industry at Sennheiser.

“Comfort is of paramount importance when headphones are a work tool,” adds Gunnar Dirks, Senior Product Manager for professional headphones. “Engineers often spend hours on end in their sessions. They need a lightweight, ergonomically designed pair of headphones to keep focus and concentration up. The HD 480 PRO eliminate any pressure points and fit every head precisely and comfortably – even if you’re wearing glasses.”

Unlike many other closed-back headphones, the HD 480 PRO deliver an honest low-end

Purpose-built for professional audio work

Whether used in the studio by producers, mixers, musicians, recording engineers, and creators, in live environments by FoH engineers and monitor engineers, or again on the move, the HD 480 PRO are an ideal choice for monitoring, producing, and recording, but also for mixing, which makes them Sennheiser’s most versatile professional headphones to date. Their absolute accuracy, uncolored frequency response and honest low-end ensure that the audio translates reliably to any listening situation from home speakers to automobile use and PA systems.

“Knowing that you can rely on what you’re hearing is everything, that’s what you get with the HD 480 PRO.” Jim Kaufman, producer

“When I’m going to be mixing on headphones outside my studio, it’s imperative I have a pair that I trust. With the HD 480 PRO, to have this level of quality and accuracy in a closed-back headphone is amazing.” Will Brierre, mix engineer

“As producers, we have to receive the best sound to our ears that we can. Every detail is important. When you’re wearing the 480s, you’re immersed in the sound, completely undistracted by the outside world.” Young Chencs, artist and producer

“The ear cushions. Incredibly soft, right away. And then the dimensionality of the sound. It felt like the music had depth and space around it. Two things stood out immediately. The spatial quality of the sound makes it so much easier to understand where everything sits in a mix. And while recording, I could hear my own voice with this real clarity and dimension. It actually made singing feel more natural and easier.” Nao Yoshioka, singer and songwriter

“Nothing but the truth”

To enable the user to fully concentrate on the audio and hear all detail, the HD 480 PRO feature multiple stages of passive sound shielding, while comfortable ear pads with soft grooves for the temples of glasses ensure the precise seal that is required for good audio reproduction. A series of design measures – subsumed under the term “Vibration Attenuation System” – eliminate unwanted vibration, reflections and distortion, preserving the clarity of the signal. The ultralight voice coils of the HD 480 PRO ensure a remarkably authentic and dynamic reproduction.

The HD 480 PRO are Sennheiser’s most versatile professional headphones to date. They are an ideal choice for monitoring, producing, and recording, but also for mixing

Patents for comfort, precision fit and noise decoupling

Like its open-back counterpart, the HD 490 PRO, the HD 480 PRO benefit from several Sennheiser-patented features.

Special Axes Geometry: The mechanical design makes sure that the headphones optimally adapt to the head and maintain an equal contact pressure no matter what the shape of the user’s head. The listening experience is consistent across users.
Comfort zone for glasses: The ear pads do not press on the temples of glasses but rather have a soft zone, which ensures good sealing and high comfort at the same time.
Blocking of cable-borne noise: Near the earcup, the connection cable features a coiled part, which effectively decouples the HD 480 PRO from any structure-borne or handling noise, such as that transmitted when the cable hits the desk, for example.

For daily professional use

To adapt to different set-ups, the detachable cable can be worn on the left or right side of the HD 480 PRO. This flexible cable routing is ideal for solo recording of instruments, for example, as it keeps the cable out of the way. To ensure accessibility, the left and right earcups are braille-marked. Engineered by Sennheiser’s experienced professional development team, the HD 480 PRO have been designed to last and deliver consistent results over time.

A Sennheiser patent: The coiled part near the earcup connector prevents cable noise from reaching the earcups

HD 490 PRO or HD 480 PRO – which one to choose?

The open-back HD 490 PRO and closed-back HD 480 PRO are at the top of the 400 series of purpose-built professional audio headphones. So which one is best for which application?

“Our developers have been working painstakingly to bring the sound of the closed HD 480 PRO as closely as possible to that of the open HD 490 PRO. Which model is the better choice for you really depends on how you work,” explains Gunnar Dirks. “The open HD 490 PRO will be ideal for mixing in quiet environments, while I would recommend the closed HD 480 PRO for applications where you need isolation, for example when you’re tracking vocals in the room, when monitoring or using them as an FoH reference, or simply when you’re working in the same space as others.”

The HD 480 PRO retails at USD $479 (MSRP). It features recording earpads and a 9 foot coiled cable and is delivered complete with a carrying bag. Instead of the bag, the HD 480 PRO Plus comes with a travel case, and retails at USD $519 (MSRP).

HD 480 PRO technical data

Acoustic principle: closed
Ear coupling: circumaural
Transducer principle: dynamic
Transducer diameter: 38 mm
Frequency response: 3 to 28,700 Hz (-10 dB)
Sensitivity: 107 dB SPL (at 1 kHz/1_Vrms); 98 dB (at 1 kHz, 1 mW)
Max. SPL: 130 dB (1 kHz, 5% THD)
THD: <0.5% (at 1 kHz, 100 dB SPL)
Impedance: 130 ohms (1 kHz)
Power rating: 300 mW (100 h, noise as per IEC 60268)
Temperature range: 0°C to +50°C for operation; -25°C to +70°C for storage
Relative humidity: 10 to 80%, non-condensing for operation; 10 to 90% for storage
Weight: 272 g (w/o cable)

Available accessories

Replacement recording ear pads, replacement coiled cable (3 m), 1.8 m straight cable, 3 m straight cable, balanced cable, (replacement) travel case, (storage) case, (replacement) bag.